Ditch Assist Lite won't connect, activate or keep guidance
The app can't find the Reach, says no NMEA output, won't accept your unlock code, Start opens the activation screen, guidance pauses, or the Reach drops every few minutes. Also Emlid Diagnostics messages.
- Ditch Assist Lite
In the app Settings › Mode, Settings › Ditch Assist Lite, Settings › Emlid Diagnostics
Ditch Assist® Lite reads an Emlid Reach RS3 or RS4 mounted on the blade, over the receiver's own Wi-Fi hotspot. Guidance only: you move the blade. Each receiver needs a one-time activation code. Almost every Ditch Assist Lite call is one of three things: the tablet isn't on the Reach hotspot, the Reach isn't sending its position over Wi-Fi (most often a receiver still set up for a control-module kit: fix), or the receiver isn't activated.
Before you start
- The Reach is switched on and charged, on its pole on the blade, under open sky.
- You know the receiver's Wi-Fi name (
Reach:XX:XX, or a name someone gave it, such asRover:C7:77) and its password, usually emlidreach. - Android basics (the tablet's Wi-Fi list, the pull-down panel, the Settings app) are in Tablet basics, with pictures.
Time: 2 minutes for the quick checks. Programming the receiver from the app takes about 15 seconds; activation needs an email reply from sales@ditchassist.com.
Quick checks first
- The app is in Lite mode: an orange LITE MODE banner sits above the cards on Home (how to switch).
- The tablet is joined to the Reach's hotspot, you answered Android's no-internet question with Always connect, and Android Location is on.
- The receiver is activated: Pre-Flight Checks doesn't say Not activated.
- Emlid Reach RS3 or RS4. On a pole on the blade. The only part on the machine.
- Tablet. Joins the Reach's own Wi-Fi hotspot, which has no internet, and shows the guidance.
- Reach base. A second Reach on a tripod sends corrections by LoRa radio.
- Or an RTK network. Corrections over the receiver's own SIM card. Emlid Corrections over the SIM: RS4 and RS4 Pro only, not in Canada.
- You move the blade. Follow the guidance on the tablet.
Find your symptom
Tap the line that matches what you see. It opens with the causes, most likely first. Check tells you how to spot the cause. Fix tells you what to do, one step at a time.
There's no Emlid Reach button in the connect step
The app is in Ditch Assist mode
Check: There's no orange LITE MODE banner on Home, and the Connect window shows Connect, Simulate and Bluetooth GPS.
Fix:
- Close the Connect window with the X at its top right.
- Tap Settings, the fourth button down the right-hand column.
- At the top of Settings, in the Mode box, tap Ditch Assist Lite (the right half of the two-part button). It turns orange.
- If a window asks
Switch mode?
, tap Switch. - The Set up your Reach guide opens. Read it and tap OK.
- Tap Home at the top of the sidebar.
- Tap your workflow card. The Connect window now shows Emlid Reach.
1- Ditch Assist Lite. The right half of the Mode button. Tap it.
If the app says Stop grading before switching mode.
, stop grading first:
- Tap Grade, the third button down the right-hand column.
- Tap the red Stop button.
- Go back to Settings and switch the Mode.
Tapping Emlid Reach fails“Tablet isn't on a Reach hotspot. Join the Reach WiFi (password emlidreach) and try again.”
1
2- The red box. The tablet's Wi-Fi isn't a Reach hotspot.
- Emlid Reach. Tap again once you've joined the hotspot.
The tablet went back to farm Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot Most likely
Check:
- Open the tablet's Wi-Fi list (how, with pictures).
- Read the network marked Connected. It should be the receiver's:
Reach:XX:XX, or its own name if someone renamed it (for exampleRover:C7:77).
Fix:
- Tap the Reach's network.
- Type the password, usually emlidreach.
- Tap Connect.
- If Android warns there's no internet, tap Always connect.
- Go back to Ditch Assist and tap the green Emlid Reach button.
On a Samsung tablet, also turn off Switch to better Wi-Fi networks, or the tablet will keep leaving the Reach.
A tablet with a SIM is sending the app over mobile data
Check: The Wi-Fi list shows the Reach hotspot as Connected, mobile data is on, and Samsung asked Internet may not be available
.
Fix:
- Answer that question with Always connect. If you don't see it, turn Mobile data off in the pull-down panel (how).
- Tap Emlid Reach again.
The app says it isn't on a Reach hotspot because Android sent its traffic over mobile data instead.
The Reach's hotspot isn't on
Check: Is the receiver on and charged? In Emlid Flow, is its Wi-Fi set to hotspot (not joined to another network)?
Fix: Power the Reach and turn its hotspot on in Emlid Flow.
The Reach is found but sends no position“Reach found, but no NMEA TCP output is configured. Open Settings → Ditch Assist Lite → Setup guide.”
1
2- The red box. The tablet reached the Reach, but its Wi-Fi position output is off.
- Emlid Reach. Tap again once the receiver is programmed.
The receiver is still set up for a control-module kit Most likely
Check:
- With the tablet on the Reach hotspot, tap Settings (fourth button down the right-hand column).
- Scroll to the very bottom of Settings (how to scroll).
- Tap the Emlid Diagnostics button. The app reads the receiver for a moment.
- Read the green line.
Configured as Ditch Assist Rover
is the cabled control-module setup: Position output 1 readsserial UART 38400 NMEA, so the position only goes out of the cable port. A receiver set up by hand may showClosest: …
with a list of differences instead.
- Configured as Ditch Assist Rover. Right for a cabled kit, wrong for Ditch Assist Lite.
- Configure. Bottom right. Opens the three setups to choose from.
Fix: program it as a Lite Rover.
- Tap Configure, bottom right of the Emlid Diagnostics window.
- Tap Lite Rover, the third card.
- Check the LoRa frequency (MHz) box matches your base.
- Tap Program receiver. Each setting is written and checked; it takes about 15 seconds.
- Lite Rover. The third card: the tablet connects straight to the receiver over its Wi-Fi.
- Program receiver. Writes the settings.
The red message points to the Setup guide (setting it by hand in Emlid Flow). Emlid Diagnostics does the same in a few taps. Every screen: If it says “no NMEA TCP output”.
The output is set up but switched off, or still starting
Check: The red box reads Reach found. It reports a TCP-server NMEA output, but that port did not accept the connection — make sure the output is switched on and try again.
Fix:
- Wait a few seconds after the Reach starts up.
- Tap Emlid Reach again.
- Still refused: program it as Lite Rover in Emlid Diagnostics (steps above), or switch the output on in Emlid Flow.
Connected, but stuck on GPS: no Float, no RTK“GPS — grading accuracy reduced”
- GPS — grading accuracy reduced. The Reach is working on its own: no corrections are reaching it.
The connection is fine; the receiver has no RTK corrections. Pre-Flight Checks and the GPS Info window can still show Corrections / Correction Age 0.0 s in green: that's what the Reach reports with no corrections, not proof they're arriving. Go by the fix on the badge: GPS = none, FLOAT = arriving but not fixed, RTK = go.
The base isn't sending, or is on another frequency Most likely
Check: Is the base Reach on and set up as a base? In Emlid Diagnostics, does the rover's Correction input row show the same LoRa frequency as the base's Base output 1?
Fix: Program the rover as Lite Rover with the base's LoRa frequency typed in the frequency box (steps under The Reach is found but sends no position). Or set the base up again: Set up a base.
NTRIP over the receiver's SIM isn't connected
Fix: See corrections over the SIM. Programming a Lite Rover resets the correction input to LoRa, so set NTRIP again in Emlid Flow afterwards.
Start opens the activation screen“Not activated”
Pre-Flight Checks shows the Reach as Not activated in amber, with an Activate button. Until it's activated the receiver works as a plain GPS for surveying only, and Start on the Grade screen opens Activate Ditch Assist Lite straight away.
- Not activated. The receiver has no unlock code on this tablet.
- Activate. Bottom right. Opens the activation window.
This receiver has no unlock code yet
Fix:
Open the activation window
With the tablet on the Reach hotspot, tap Activate in Pre-Flight Checks. (It's also in Settings: in the Ditch Assist Lite box, tap Activate a receiver.)
Send the request code
Under
Step 1 — Scan with your phone to email us the request code
, point your phone's camera at the square code and send the email it opens to sales@ditchassist.com. Or tap Copy and email the code yourself.Type the unlock code
When the reply comes, tap the box under
Step 2 — Enter the 10-digit unlock code we send back
and type the 10 digits (typing on the tablet).Tap Activate
The green button next to the box.
Activating also unlocks LiDAR & Mapping. Every screen, with pictures: Activate Ditch Assist Lite.
The unlock code is refused“That code doesn't match this receiver. Codes are issued per receiver.”
- This receiver. Its type and the last 4 characters of its serial. Compare with the receiver the code was made for.
- The red line. The code was checked on the tablet against this receiver. (The codes are hidden in this picture.)
A typo, or a code for another receiver Most likely
Check: The receiver name at the top of the window ends with the last 4 characters of its serial. Does it match the receiver the request code came from? Is the request code in your email the same as the one in this window?
Fix:
- Retype the 10 digits once, carefully.
- Still refused? The code was made for another receiver. Retyping it again only counts toward the lockout.
- Tap Copy next to the request code (or scan the square code with your phone) and email it to sales@ditchassist.com for a new code.
More: If the code is rejected.
Locked out after wrong codes
Check: The app says Too many attempts — try again in N s
. After 5 wrong codes the wait starts at 60 seconds and doubles each time, up to an hour, even after a restart.
Fix: Wait for the countdown, check the code, then enter it once.
The licence was revoked
Check: The app says This receiver's licence has been revoked. Contact sales@ditchassist.com.
, or a Revoked chip shows next to the receiver in the Ditch Assist Lite box of Settings.
Fix: Email sales@ditchassist.com.
The activation screen can't read the receiver“Couldn't read the receiver ID. Make sure the tablet is on the Reach hotspot and Location is on, then try again.”
The Reach is still starting up Most likely
Fix: Wait a few seconds and tap Retry.
Android Location is off
Fix:
- Open the tablet's pull-down panel (how).
- Tap Location so it's lit (on).
- Back in Ditch Assist, tap Retry.
Not connected to the Reach yet
Check: The window says Connect to the Reach first: join its WiFi hotspot (password emlidreach), then tap Connect.
Or Disconnect the current controller or simulator first.
Fix:
- If the simulator or another source is connected, open Pre-Flight Checks and tap Disconnect.
- Join the Reach hotspot in the tablet's Wi-Fi list.
- In the activation window, tap Connect.
Activation works, but the Reach isn't set up yet
Check: The window says This Reach isn't set up for Ditch Assist Lite yet (no position output over Wi-Fi)…
Fix: Activate now. Then tap Open Emlid Diagnostics and program it as Lite Rover (steps).
The Reach drops every few minutes“Your tablet may drop this Wi-Fi”
Samsung network switching is on Most likely
Fix: In the tablet's Intelligent Wi-Fi page, turn off Switch to mobile data (tablets with a SIM card) and Switch to better Wi-Fi networks (if your tablet has it). Every step: The connection keeps dropping, or If a window says “Your tablet may drop this Wi-Fi”.
The Reach battery is flat
Fix: Charge it. A USB power bank on the mount gets you through a long day. See Power the Reach.
Someone reprogrammed the Reach
Check: Programming it from the app drops the link for a few seconds. Programming it as Base or Rover turns off its Wi-Fi position output altogether.
Fix: Stop guidance before programming. Program it back as Lite Rover (steps).
Guidance pauses while you work“RTK LOST — GUIDANCE PAUSED”
The Reach lost RTK or stopped sending
Fix:
- Stop and wait. It clears by itself.
- If it happens often, check the correction link (LoRa from your base, or NTRIP) in Emlid Flow or Emlid Diagnostics.
See GUIDANCE PAUSED and Stuck on Float.
Guidance drifts as soon as you raise or lower the blade
The Reach is on the cab, not the implement
Fix: Mount the Reach on a mast on the blade, moldboard, bowl or attachment, then calibrate again.
No Raise, Lower, Hold or Resume buttons
Ditch Assist Lite never moves the blade
Fix: Run the blade with the machine controls and follow the chevrons. Stage deep cuts with Auto-Nudge or manual nudge. The hydraulic settings (CONTROLLER, Pre-Start Safety, Send Commands, Rock Hit Detection) are hidden in Lite mode.
Excavation warns about a different kit“Designed for a different kit”
Ditch Assist Lite follows the antenna, not the bucket tip
Fix:
- Tap Continue Anyway, the orange button at the bottom right of the window.
- To check grade, stop between cuts and put the stick and bucket in the same position you calibrated in.
- Continue Anyway. Orange, bottom right of the window. Carries on in Excavation.
- Pick Different. Goes back to Home with no workflow chosen.
Emlid Diagnostics can't check or program the receiver“Not connected to a Reach” · “Programming stopped”
1
2- Open Wi-Fi settings. Opens the tablet's Wi-Fi list so you can join the Reach.
- Retry. Reads the receiver again.
The tablet isn't on the Reach hotspot Most likely
Fix:
- Tap Open Wi-Fi settings.
- Tap the receiver's network: it starts with
Reach:, or it's the receiver's own name. - Type the password, usually emlidreach.
- Tap Connect. On a tablet with a SIM, answer the no-internet question with Always connect.
- Go back to Ditch Assist and tap Retry.
A setting wouldn't take
Check: The receiver did not accept one of the settings after 3 attempts. Finish this in the Emlid Flow app, then come back to verify.
Fix:
- Tap Copy details (for support).
- Finish that section in the Emlid Flow app.
- Open Emlid Diagnostics again to check.
Old firmware or a model the app can't program
Check: Ditch Assist is checked on firmware … and newer. Update this receiver in Emlid Flow.
or Programming is disabled on this receiver or firmware — use the Emlid Flow app.
Fix: Update the receiver's firmware in Emlid Flow, or set it up there by hand.
Another Reach answered
Check: A different receiver answered — the tablet may have joined another Reach hotspot. Nothing was written.
Fix: Join the right receiver's hotspot and program it again.
Guidance is running
Check: Stop automatic grading before programming a receiver.
Fix: On the Grade screen, tap Stop. Then come back to Emlid Diagnostics.
It lists a few differences but works
Check: Closest: Ditch Assist … — N settings differ
on a receiver set up by hand.
Fix: One or two harmless differences are normal. Leave logging on. If you want an exact match:
- Tap Configure.
- Tap the setup you use (Lite Rover for Ditch Assist Lite).
- Tap Program receiver.
No base: corrections over the receiver's SIM don't work
Mobile data, PIN or APN not set Most likely
Check: Look at the network bars next to the battery in Emlid Flow.
Fix: In Emlid Flow's settings: turn Mobile data on, enter the SIM PIN if asked, the APN only if needed, and turn roaming on for SIMs that need it.
Emlid Corrections isn't available here, or on this receiver
Check: Emlid Corrections over the receiver's own SIM is RS4 / RS4 Pro only, and not in Canada.
Fix: Use an NTRIP network over the receiver's mobile data (RS3 or RS4), or your own base.
Programming reset the correction input
Check: After programming as Lite Rover, Correction input went back to LoRa.
Fix: Set the mobile-data corrections again in Emlid Flow. Emlid Diagnostics then lists Correction input as a difference; that's expected.
New tablet, or another brand of receiver
Codes belong to the receiver
Fix: On a new tablet, activate the same receiver with the same unlock code. Removing a receiver from the Ditch Assist Lite box in Settings stops Ditch Assist Lite on it until its code is entered again.
Ditch Assist Lite reads an Emlid Reach RS3 or RS4 only
Fix: With a Trimble, John Deere or other receiver, the Guidance Only Kit gives the same guidance through the control module.
Still not fixed?
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Still stuck? Talk to a product specialist. 1-833-DITCH-AS · support@ditchassist.com · Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central.
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